Serum sickness following rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin for acute vascular renal allograft rejection

Abstract

A simultaneous pancreaskidney transplant recipient developed serum sickness manifesting with severe upper limb allodynia, arthralgia and myalgia 17 days following rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) infusion for biopsy-proven vascular rejection. Rapid resolution of symptoms followed treatment with high-dose glucocorticoids. rATG is increasingly favoured over equine ATG in solid-organ transplantation, and although rATG has a superior safety profile, it is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for serum sickness. © 2012 The Author.